Stoke Yourself For Stoker

JA from MNPP here, curious if y’all have been following the delightful casting news that’s been coming out bit by bit day after day for Oldboy director Park Chan-wook’s first English-language film Stoker. I mean just the fact that PCW is making an English-language movie’s exciting enough – not that I have trouble with subtitles, I'm fervently infatuated with every movie he's made, but it means one of my favorite directors is getting to round up some of my favorite Hollywood actors, which he’s doing in spades.

First, some background: Stoker’s script was written (under a pseudonym) by Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller, and is described as “a dramatic thriller about a young woman whose eccentric uncle comes back into her life after the death of her father.”

Attached to the script way back when it was first being talked about were Carey Mulligan and Jodie Foster, which already got us thinking something really good is going on with the script or Park's exciting enough all on his own to snatch up such solid names... hopefully both! Unfortunately scheduling got drawn out and Carey took off to star opposite Michael Fassbender in Steve McQueen’s upcoming film Shame (can’t blame her for wanting to go hang with Fassy for awhile) and Jodie went to work with Roman Polanski on Carnage (also can’t blame that). But Park & Co. managed no downgrade in their replacing – Mia Wasikowska and Nicole Kidman (making up for this) stepped right in. Now them's a two-fer.

The role of the “eccentric uncle” was rumored for awhile to be recent Oscar picker-upper Colin Firth, but somebody apparently decided to age the character down a whole bunch and the role went to the 50 year old Firth’s 33 year old Single Man boyfriend Matthew Goode instead. Even though he might not pack the immediate wallop that Firth does, Goode’s shown a lot of promise in the past – he was mesmerizing in The Lookout.

We don’t have word yet when filming begins, but we're thinking it must be soon since three more names have hopped on board over the past week – Lucas Till, who played Havoc in the recent X-Men movie; Alden Ehrenreich, a cute young thing that caught Steven Spielberg’s eye and can be seen in both of Francis Ford Coppola’s most recent efforts; and most awesomely Jacki Weaver, who shoulda won that Supporting statue last year for her terrifying turn in Animal Kingdom just for the way she arched her eyebrows and smiled that sinister Grinch’s smile. If you’re keeping count, that's three count ‘em three singular Aussie actress sensations for the price of one. Can’t beat that!

Links: Tim Hetherington (RIP), Batman Year One, Gaga Saga

Tribeca Film RIP Tim Hetherington. This is so sad.The just Oscar nominated co-director of the fine documentary Restrepo and an amazing war photographer has been killed in Libya. He had just recently released a book of photography called Infidel which had a section called "Sleeping Soldiers" --not your typical war photography.

You can listen to a lengthy talk by him about his work at "Foto 8" The site also has an accompanying gallery to watch while listening.

Movie|Line 3-D reboot of softcore Chinese movie Sex & Zen (I don't know whether or not to admit that I've seen the original. Whoops) breaks records in Hong Kong. American produced 3-D porn is also on the way. Ruh-roh.
Hollywood Reporter Batman Year One, an animated film igoing straight to DVD, casts Eliza Dushku as Catwoman. That works, her being a frisky kitty and all.
TOH Anne Thompson thinks Jennifer Lawrence looks terrible as Mystique in X-Men: First Class. I'd agree. I don't understand why they had to give her that abnormal forehead thing again. Shake up the look a little.

Weird Al explains what happened with Lady Gaga. She's disrupted his album release plans by rejecting his "Born This Way" parody "Perform This Way"
Playbill Been missing the awesome of Jonathan Groff or the bliss of Kristin Chenoweth on Glee? They return very very soon.

Antonio Banderas in The Skin I Live In (2011)

Vulture Margaret Lyons has a very astute article on what's right and wrong with NBC's "Parenthood". (I met one of its stars and I'll tell you about that tomorrow morning.)
Very Small Array has a horrifying chart about the quality slide in box office hits. Thanks to Awards Daily for pointing it out.
In Contention starts a series on the Cannes offering beginning with Almodóvar's The Skin I Live In.
Cinema Blend Jacki Weaver joins the Judd Apatow comedy Five Year Engagement. Go get those post-Oscar roles, Jacki! 

Supporting Actress Finale: Fashion, Speech and Reader's Choice.

I have displayed the talented women above in the order of Readers Choice voting. Jacki Weaver (25%)  just barely won your virtual Oscar over Amy Adams (24%) . Of course the Oscar went to Melissa Leo (21%), who memorably hammed it up with Kirk Douglas before bringing the crazy that we've come to expect and dropping a rare Oscar night F Bomb on the Kodak. Film Experience readers didn't wish the win on Hailee Steinfeld (15%) or Helena Bonham Carter (11%) in big numbers though I noticed that Hailee trounced her competition in Awards Daily's balloting of readers. Different crowd with some overlap. Like AMPAS & BAFTA ;)

It's all over but the memories... and the fallout... and the statistics... and the gowns. Oscar night has a way of bleeding over. Certain competitions remain in the popular memory, or at least the blog memory for long periods of time. Consider how often people still talk about Annette Bening vs. Hilary Swank (1999, 2004) as opposed to say, Marion vs. Julie (2007) ?  or especially Reese vs. No One (2005). I sense that Supporting Actress 2010 will be one of those categories we come back to time and again, not only for the real sense of "it could go to any one!" drama that sprung up in the hive mind of Oscar watchers, but for the way that Kirk Douglas almost psychically seemed to understand that dragging out the envelope opening to ridiculous but funny lengths as the women laughed nervously.

Melissa's Speech

Oh my god. oh wow. really really really really really really  truly wow. I know a lot of people said a lot of nice things to me for several months now but i'm just shaking in my boots here. ok all right. thank you David O. Russell. I wanna thank the actors Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy My Sweet Sister Amy, Jack, our lovely daughters. ok yeah I am kind of speechless. [Looks up] Golly sakes there's people up there, too.

When i watched Kate two years ago it looks so fuc [BLEEPED OUT] Alice Ward. Your beautiful family that opened your hearts. I saw Mick here earlier. Dick? all right Dick's not in the room. Thank you so much opening your hearts to all of us to make this film. I thank David. I'll thank him again. My family, my beautiful son who is traveling right now who couldn't join me. It's okay I'm okay Jeff. My mom and my dad and my brother and my friends and my family. And I want to thank the very most of all the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences [sic] the Board of Governors and all their members and many of you are here today. This has been an extraordinary journey getting to know what the academy is about. And first and foremost thank you Academy [suddenly shouting] because it's about selling motion pictures and respecting the work! Thank you so much.

And then she stole Kirk Douglas cane. She brought the kooky and Oscar needs moments like that.

Three Questions
1. Best dressed of the category?
2. Who will be back the quickest to the nominee pool?
3. Who owes Melissa $200 dollars?

Oh My Link

Kenneth in the (212) spends an evening with Lisa Kudrow to discuss The Comeback. Jealous!
The Guardian wonderful piece on AMPAS membership. This had me in stitches

Now 72, Mother Dolores still retains her Academy membership and every year receives copies of the latest Oscar-nominated films from Ampas, thus making her the only fully ordained nun to adjudicate on the oeuvre of Quentin Tarantino.

Low Resolution Joe hands out his 2010 Movie Awards. Fun
Movie|Line Stu bravely predicts Annette Bening AND Jacki Weaver to win. My god, I'd be so happy... but doesn't he know about Oscar's ageism?

Scott Feinberg examines the pitches of nominated performances. All the Oscar narratives have been done before.
The Fug Girls fall hard for Brenda Song (of The Social Network)
Hero Complex James McAvoy talks about the bromance between Magneto and Professor X in X-Men First Class
Movie Morlocks revisits Vincente Minnelli's On A Clear Day You Can See Forever with Barbra Streisand. Did you know that it lost 60 minutes on the cutting room floor?
In Contention the foreign film oscar category still isn't fixed.

Finally, have you been following Movie|Line's Oscar index? They've now added time lapse animation to their charts and it's strangely hypnotic (and mnemonic) to watch the rise and fall of certain candidates. Here's one example, which is particularly instructive given the volatility: Best Supporting Actress. Watch the Black Swan pair jump in and out and up and down and note how at the last minute everyone is rising back up as it gets strangely competitive for so late in the game.

I guess this means they're predicting Hailee Steinfeld for the win but recognizing it as a very tight three-way race. Make it not be so Oscar gods. Make it not be so.

Oscar Nominee Luncheon

Oopsie. Misremembered the date on this.

Thought it was tomorrow. Guess I should have checked my own calendar right here.

Here are my favorite bits from the live stream televised portion

• James Franco at the end of his interview "Is that it? WHAT? all right". Ha. the interviews were super super short.
• Learning that Jeff Bridges is recording an album with T Bone Burnett. Interesting.
• Michelle Williams being sad that Ryan Gosling wasn't nominated but then a quick "but there are lots of other friendly faces" and she was off without even saying thank you or bye to the room.
• Hailee Steinfeld admitting she mostly only watched the Oscars for the red carpet to see what they were wearing. Well, she picked up the gift quickly (see red carpet lineups)

• That Jacki Weaver was practically invisible under the microphone. Actually that wasn't HAPPY but it was interesting. couldn't they have had one of those moving stand that goes up and down.
• Nicole Kidman was asked about other Australians nominated. Re: Jacki Weaver: "its so wonderful to see to see Jacki Weaver who I grew up watching to have this chance it says to so many actors it doesn't matter what age you are you can have a huge break."
• Nicole Kidman also said that this nomination,her third, is the one that made her happiest. Partially because of the movie but also because of how long it's been since she was last honored. "10 years?"
• HAPPIEST MOMENT Hearing that Jacki Weaver has had several offers for new movies. Yes! She says "I've never had grand ambitions to work elsewhere and suddenly i'm thrust into this milieu of excitement. i must say it's become addictive quickly. I've been saying it's the twilight of career but it appears to be the midafternoon."
• One more Jacki Weaver quote: "How do I feel? If I were a bell I'd be ringing."
• John Hawkes was very nonchalant "It's a wonderful time in my life but I'm nervous that my cover is blown" Jeff Bridges also spoke about anonymity being a gift for actors.

• Amy Adams walking out to scattered quiet journalist applause. "That was tepid" she joked. "I'm just playing" She seemed very relaxed.
• Amy when asked about Christian Bale said 'all that matters to me about working with an actor is what happens between action and cut' Interestingly vague. She then said that he stays in character between takes.
• Annette Bening telling the truth about how to combat homophobia and other such issues. " if you can open people's hearts first then maybe people's minds get opened after that."

• Colin Firth on whether people have been treating him differently: "I do get the odd bow which I put down to confusion or facetiousness."
• Helena Bonham-Carter was hilarious throughout in one of the longer interviews. Second happiest moment for me, a long time fan, was her admitting that The King's Speech has born fruit and people are interesting in casting her again. YES.
• HBC on the offer for The King's Speech "When they first approached me I wanted to play George cause that's the best part. I didn't look in the mirror and think I was a dead ringer for the Queen Mum."
• HBC on what she'll wear to the Oscars "I have no idea really. it's probably going to be a catastrophe. "